Rabbitohs vs Bulldogs Prediction: Bulldogs to grab more bragging rights

The South Sydney Rabbitohs are out of form and have key absentees as they prepare to host the high-flying Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in the NRL.

This fixture between two Sydney rivals will conclude round 15 of the NRL season and it will take place at the Rabbitohs' Stadium Australia home on Sunday morning (KO 07:05 BST). Read on for my Rabbitohs vs Bulldogs predictions, as well as the latest team news and match odds.

Team News

Last week's defeat to the Canberra Raiders was one to forget for the Rabbitohs as not only did they come off second best, but they lost two key players, Cody Walker and Campbell Graham, to injury.

Jayden Sullivan will replace Cody Walker at five-eighth for this game, with Jamie Humphreys taking over at half-back. There is also a change at full-back with Jye Gray assuming that role from Latrell Mitchell, who is on State of Origin duty.

The State of Origin has also impacted the Bulldogs team, as they will be without captain Stephen Crichton, lock Kurt Mann, five-eighth Matt Burton and prop Max King for this contest.

Lachlan Galvin, Blake Wilson and Jacob Preston are the ones to come into the team - Mann was only on the bench last week so does not need replacing - while Jake Turpin and Kurt Morrin have been included among the replacements.

Rabbitohs vs Bulldogs Odds

Despite having home advantage, the Rabbitohs are 21/10 outsiders to win this game, with the Bulldogs priced at 2/5 and the draw available at 18/1.

The Rabbitohs are 10/11 to triumph with a +8 head-start in the three-way handicap market, while the Bulldogs can be backed at 21/20 to overcome that theoretical deficit.

Bulldogs -8 handicap @ 21/20

After losing six of their last eight games, including back-to-back losses to the Raiders and the New Zealand Warriors, it is fair to say the Rabbitohs are not in great form, and that is before even factoring in the enforced absences of Walker and Graham.

Their current losing run includes a chastening 32-0 defeat away to the Bulldogs when these two sides last met on Good Friday, and although they will have home advantage this time around, it is hard to see them bridging the gap sufficiently to avoid another defeat.

The Bulldogs have won four of their last five, have suffered only two defeats all season and have the added incentive of returning to the top of the NRL if they win on Sunday - a feat they should be able to achieve with something to spare.

Under 44.5 total points @ 10/11

Of the last six games they have lost, the Rabbitohs have only once managed to go above the 16-point mark once, while the sequence includes picking up just four points against the Newcastle Knights and none when they last faced the Bulldogs.

That shouldn't be too much of a surprise given the Bulldogs have the best defensive record in the NRL, giving up, on average, less than 18 points per game.

Canterbury themselves are not prolific - they have been outscored by six teams in this season's NRL - and although they should win this comfortably, it is unlikely to be a high final points total.

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